Grease-cup cap for locomotive-side-rod cups.



J. C. HILL.

GREASE CU P CAP FOR LOCOMQTIVE SIDE ROD CUPS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 1915.

1,167,177, Patented Jan. 4 1916.

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fi' J2 l iE- q JOHN C. HILL, OF EDWIN, TENNESSEE.

GREASE-CUP CAI FOR LOCOFIOTIVE-SIDE-ROD CUPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1916.

Application flied February 26, 1915. Serial No. 10,776.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, J OHN C HILL, a citizenof the United States, residlng at Erwin,

in the county of Unicoi and State of Ten-' nessee, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Grease-Cup Caps for L0- comotive-Side-RodCups; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a grease cup cap for locomotive side rod cups.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofgrease cup caps and to provide a simple, practical, and efficient greasecup cap of strong and durable construction adapted to be readily appliedto grease cups of locomotive side rods now in use and capable ofexerting a pressure against the contents of the grease cup for forcing ahard grease lubricant into the bearings.

A further object of the invention is to provide a grease cup of thischaracter equipped with a spring and a plunger actuated by the spring toexert the desired pressure on the lubricant and maintained in adepressed position to retain the 'cap on the grease cu With these andother objects in view the invention consists in the construction andnovel combination and arr ngement of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claimshereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form,proportion and minor detailsof construction may be resortedto withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a. vertical sectional view of a grease cupcap constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied tolocomotive side rods, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view on the line22 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a similar view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4is a side elevation of the cup detached. Fig. 5 is a detail sectionalview -illustrating the construction of the automatic valve of theplunger.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferredembodiment of the invention, 1 designates a cylindrical grease cup capof the same diameter as the grease cup 2 of a locomotive side rod 3 andprovided at opposite sides with depending .lugs 4 of substantiallyL-shape adapted'to engage in horizontal side grooves 5 cut or otherwiseformed in the outer faces of the side walls of the grease cup 2 andlocated adjacent to the upper edge thereof as clearly illustrated inFig. 1 of the drawing. This construction interlocks the cap with thegrease cup and enables the cap to slide on and off the cup.

The grease cap is retained onthe grease cup by a hollow substantiallycylindrical plunger 6, open at the top having a lower end wall 7. Theplunger 6 is provided with a central stem 8 having a lower threaded end9 engaging a threaded opening 10 in the lower end wall of the plunger,the lower end wall 10 being preferably provided with a boss 11surrounding the opening 10 at the inner or upper face of the end wall 7.The hollow plunger which fits the interior of the grease cup and greasecap is urged'downwardly by a coiled spring 12 surrounding the stem andinterposed between the lower end wall of the plunger and the top of thecap which is provided with a central opening 13 for the passage of thestem. The stem 8 which extends through the opening 13 is provided at itsupper end with a suitable handle 14 and it has a longitudinal rib 15at,one side extending downwardly from the handle andmovable through anotch 16 in the wall of the opening 13.. The plunger is adapted to berawn upwardly or outwardly by the stem and carry the rib 15 be yond theca and the stem and plunger are then rotate to move the rib out ofalinement with the slot 16. This will lock the spring in a compressedcondition and maintain the plunger in an elevated position above theupper edge of the grease cup 2 so that the cap may readily slide on andoil the same. The coiled spring which applies pressure to the hardgrease or other lubricant is also adapted to maintain the plunger in itslower or depressed position. that is, below the upper edge of the cup toretain the cap thereon. When the plunger projects below the upper edgeoi the cup, the cap is held against lateral sliding movement. Theplunger is equipped with a valve 17 consisting of a disk arranged tocover and uncover the opening 18 in the lower end wall of the plungerand connected with the latter by a substanios tially U-shaped supportingmember 19 of approximately U-shape provided with parallel side armsittslidahle through the lower end wall of the plunger and havingangularly hent terminals 21 at their upper ends to form stops forlimiting the downward mowment ol the valve which opens automaticallywhen the plunger is moved up \vardly. The valve closes automatically andis. nniintained in its closed position through contact with thelubricant.

What is; claimed is:

l. The L'Ulllblllatioll with a grease cup, of a cap arranged upon theupper edge of the cup and .slidahly interlocked with the same andmovalde transiersely to engage it with and dieengage it from the cup anda spring actuated plunger operating in the cup and extending through thecap said plunger be ing arranged to normall extend into both the cup andthe cap to niaintain the cap agaimt sliding movement.

:1. The combination with a grease cup proiided in in; exterior withopposite grooves of a cap fitted on the grease cup and having dependingapprmnnately L-shaped lugs slid-ahly engaging the grooms, and a spring;:atnated plunger extending through the cap ntl projecting below theupper edge of the m t maintain the cap in interlocked relat on with thecup,

3. The combination with a grease cup, of a cap Hlidahly interloel-cedwith the (up and movable transversely to engage it with and disengage itfrom the name said as heing provided with a central opening and ha ringa notch in one aide thereof, and a spring actuated plunger operating inthe cup and the cap and extending through the latter, said plungermaintaining the cap in interlocked relation with the clip and pitwidmlwith a rib movable through the said notch and adapted to support theplunger out of engagement with the cup.

l. The combination with a grease cup, of a grease eup cap fitted on theupper edge of the cup and elidahly interlocked therewith and movableti'anm'eiwiy into and out of engagement with the mine, a iUli )W pltnrgrer operating in the cup and the eap and. normally extending into bothof said part9. to prevent -liding movement of the cap and pr vided witha. inure end wall having a rah e. a stem connected with the plunger anda sp ha; for urging the plunger downwardly or imvardly. I

in teatina'iny whereof I affix my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN C. HILL. iitneases:

L. P. ALLEN, J. M. SHAW.

